Hong Kong Reports Positive Growth

The Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) publicized the results of its annual survey of the exhibition industry in Hong Kong for 2011. The regular survey, which provides insight into this important sector of Hong Kong's economy, showed that despite global uncertainties in 2011, the exhibition industry continued its trajectory of positive growth. The numbers of companies coming to Hong Kong to exhibit, the amount of exhibition space they occupied, and the numbers of visitors from overseas arriving for exhibition-based activities, all grew healthily from 2010 to 2011, in some cases posting double-digit growth.

There were 111 "trade" and "trade and consumer" exhibitions held in Hong Kong from January to December 2011, up by 19.4 percent. Additionally, the number of exhibition visitors arriving from outside of Hong Kong rose markedly, by 8.8 percent over 2010.

"This is another effective testimony to the importance of the exhibition industry for trade in Hong Kong. It's always good to see positive figures indicating robust growth, but their significance is heightened when we take into account the global economic environment in 2011," said HKECIA chairman Daniel Cheung. "It seems clear that in times of economic turmoil, Hong Kong's role as a stable, reliable business platform and networking base for buyers and sellers from around the world is reinforced. This bodes very well for our continued development."